Archipelago Challenge: 30 Prompts!
by AmyNChan
Summary: This is a summer challenge concerning the Archipelago fandom! I will attempt to post one prompt every day! Prompt 30: MY CHOICE: Cool- "Cool, she could handle, but not cold."
1. 1: Sun, AnthonyXClaire (parental love)

_**14AmyChan: I have been challenged with a summer themed writing challenge**_

_**Blitz: For Archipelago!**_

_**Raven: 14AmyChan does not own these characters**_

_**14AmyChan: Yup, they belong to Hannah/TheSilverTopHat~! *^_^***_

_**Claire: Read it and like it, okay? Benjamin and me will see you at the end of this one!**_

Prompt 1: Sun

Anthony Solair lay on the couch of his home, dying a slow and agonizing death. Nothing was wrong with him physically, but his heart was in disarray. Shredded and torn, it had been two years since his heart was completely broken by the cruel forces of mother nature. On this horrible rock and this horrible cold castle he had tried to provide for Chesska, his love.

He had loved her so much. He had thrown everything away for her. He had always thought of her as his own personal ball of warmth. Though she was only half-dragon, she had been absolutely perfect in his eyes. Beautiful.

And then… he had killed her. His baby had killed her. Snuffed out her life like a mere match to be put out. His sun had gone from him, and all that remained behind was the ragged husk of Anthony Solair.

He had seen the child from a distance, from his place on the couch. Daffy was doing a great job and caring for her, as well as the other Serenath. Even Spindle had been doing his part to keep up with the old place and the child.

The child… This was Anthony's child, and he did not even know the name. He could not bear to look at the child for long, so the only thing he truly knew was that the child had her hair. Chesska's hair.

A slight scuffling in his room came to his attention. Sloppy little footsteps creeping inside. It reminded Anthony of the children that Chesska used to teach. She really _did_ bring light to everyone she touched… and then he killed her…

A small noise eerily close to his ear alerted him to a person's close proximity. He would have ignored it, as he had with unusual noises for the passed two years, but something deep within him stated that whoever was disturbing him was worth at least a glance. With much effort, he turned his head, and almost could not believe his eyes.

The child was a girl. Her bright orange eyes were a duplicate of her mother's, brimming with curiosity and an undeniable urge to make everything right. Her dragoness ears—also courtesy of her mother—were perked up in curiosity. She was two years old, and she was the spitting image of her mother.

Eagerly, she attempted to climb up the couch to reach him, though he made little move to help her. In fact, watching her attempt reminded him so much of Chesska, the good memories where she would stubbornly persist at any given task until she had completed it. They had been alike in that way.

Suddenly, the child's hand slipped, and she was about to tumble to the ground. Panic welled up inside Anthony and—for the first time in two years—he moved into action. He caught the child's head before it could collide with the rocky floor of the castle. Struggling to right himself entirely, the man sat up. As he did so, the little girl's energy pushed her to climb all over this strange inhabitant of the castle.

She messed with his hair, which he had carelessly allowed to grow passed his shoulders. Looking at himself now as his daughter explored his features, he could see he was a mess. He could see himself clearly now, and he could see what lay around him.

The castle was falling apart. He was falling apart. And yet, in the middle of it all, was this child, extruding the light that Chesska had said she would.

"There you are!" a voice stated from the doorway. Anthony cast his eyes upward towards the owner of the voice. Chesska's best friend and most loyal servant, Cassandra—or Cassie—stood at the entryway of the door, looking flustered and her eyes trained on the child who had been interrupted in the midst of investigating Anthony's dragon teeth.

"Cassie, what's her name?" Anthony asked, his voice hoarse from having not used it in two years. The blue-skin girl blinked for a moment before shaking her head.

"We… we were waiting for you to name her," she admitted. Anthony narrowed his eyes and turned back to the child, whose curiosity had once again propelled her towards more exploration. She was now occupied with the folds of his jacket, which he did not even remember changing into.

That needed to stop.

He needed to act.

He needed to _do something_.

Something for this child that had begun to bring a bit of light back into his life. If not for her, then for Chesska, who had seemingly known that the house would become much brighter with this child. Almost as though the child had brought a sun in with her.

"Claire," he stated, nodding to himself. 'Bright' was an apt description of this child. "Chesska would have wanted to name her Claire."

Cassie nodded, a smile coming over her despite herself. Perhaps now the castle would turn around. Mister Solair looked in her direction, a new fire in his eyes.

"Cassie, I am going to entrust this castle and Claire to you. I am going to find a job and get us out of this disrepair," he vowed, though the blue-skinned girl knew better. He was not vowing towards her. He was vowing for Chesska.

And that was just fine with her.

For the week, Anthony became stronger again, he got himself coherent enough to make orders again. While he was still wounded terribly in the heart, and while the castle in which he resided still echoed painful memories within his soul, he knew he had to continue. To press on.

When he left the castle to make a small fortune, he did not look back, though he knew that little Claire was waving him off. And yet, he refused to tell her goodbye.

He would never truly leave nor forget his personal sun again.

_**14AmyChan: And that's how Claire got her name, in my opinion. XD**_

_**Claire: He didn't move for a long time!**_

_**Benjamin: Yes, but what happens next is the start of the Archipelago comic**_

_**Claire: Yeah, you're right.**_

_**14AmyChan: Okay, I hope you guys enjoyed what I did with the "sun" prompt. I couldn't help it, even though it's supposed to be summer-y, I thought of this scene. It's too good to pass up. *^_^***_

Next—"Heat"


	2. 2: Heat, LucindaXKnull

_**14AmyChan: I ship these two so hard…**_

_**Lucinda: AmyChan does not own Archipelago**_

_**Knull: N-nor any o-of it's ch-characters**_

_**14AmyChan: Okay, let's get this show on the road~! *^_^***_

Prompt 2: Heat

Lucinda glided gracefully towards the rabble of men she traversed with. Han and Kurr were making terrible noises in their day-to-day squabbles, giving the Captain a horrid headache. The nephew, Knull, was the only one who seemed to be responding to the weather, and he did so in an unusual way.

"What are you attempting to accomplish with that kettle?" Lucinda inquired in her monotone voice, quickly approaching the nervous nephew. Obviously startled by her silent approach, the boy gave a small jump.

"L-Lucinda," he greeted kindly once he realized that it was not one of the bloodthirsty hunters of the group who had surprised him, but rather, the docile by comparison Lucinda. He smiled softly at her through his shy demeanor.

"I'm m-making t-tea. W-would you l-like some?" he offered. Rather than accept his offer, the girl swiftly took over the task, gently scooting the trembling boy off to the side.

"You will break the teapot if you continue," the girl with no emotion stated. "However, I must inquire, what possessed you to make tea with the weather like this?"

"Y-you mean the h-heat?" Knull asked, all too willingly allowing Lucinda to do as she pleased. He cast a look at the sky overhead. "I d-don't know. I always make t-tea on warm days. H-helps me to relax."

"Relax? From what?" she returned.

At that moment, Kurr managed to throw the "pretty faced" Han into the side of the sub. Knull jumped slightly. Captain Snow pointedly ignored the ruckus and continued to maintain the massive weapon of destruction known as his mechanical right arm.

"I see," she stated pointedly, having observed everything quietly and not allowing it to baffle nor surprise her. Being without emotion had many uses, after all. She poured to cups of tea. One for herself and one for Knull without a single drop to spare.

"T-thank you, L-Lucinda," Knull said gratefully, taking his tea. Lucinda was hesitant on drinking the warm liquid on a day like today, and Knull—the gentleman that he was—waited for Lucinda to take the first sip.

"I am not sure that a heated drink is adequate for a day such as today," she stated bluntly, unsure of why she had hesitated in telling him the truth in the first place. Lucinda dismissed the thought from her mind.

"W-well, uncle always f-fights v-v-violence with v-violence, so I t-thought I c-could battle heat w-with heat," Knull answered her patiently, seemingly not at all perturbed by her honesty. "I-it works f-for me a-and uncle."

Upon hearing this, Lucinda decided to give the tea a try. Perhaps there was some method to the Snow madness. And if it were to help them 'relax' to help them fight more aptly later on, then who was she to refuse such a method. Tentatively, she took the first sip.

The results surprised her. It did seem that one could battle heat with heat after all.

She and Knull sipped on their tea in peace for the rest of the afternoon. Well, as much peace as they could get with a squabbling weredog and face changer as well as a murderous Captain who enjoyed the sight of blood with a inhumane amount of glee.

Still, they sipped on in relative peace. Fighting the heat with more heat.

_**14AmyChan: Fighting the heat of a summer day with a warm drink**_

_**Knull: U-uncle will d-drink t-tea no matter the w-weather**_

_**Lucinda: Indeed.**_

_**14AmyChan: Hmmm… should I do something about the dear Capt? XD**_

Next—"Coo"


	3. 3: Coo, SnowXNoemi

_**14AmyChan: Okay, so I know that this was probably a typo on the prompt's fault, but I couldn't pass this up. XD**_

_**Captain Snow: "Coo"?**_

_**Noemi: I'm fairly sure that it was supposed to be "Cool"**_

_**14AmyChan: That's what I thought, but it was fun to use the typo "Coo" instead. XD**_

_**Noemi: AmyChan doesn't own Archipelago**_

_**Captain Snow: So enjoy the pleasure of reading before I torture you for my own pleasure. :)**_

Prompt 3: Coo

Adrian Snow rarely had a quiet moment to himself, what between the mass murders he preformed on a day-to-day basis, the insufferable pirate crew he had to manage (and constantly replace!), and the hostages he constantly had to maintain to be prime torturing toys, he was a very busy man. There was, however, one thing that kept him busy that he did not mind in the least.

Noemi Snow. His wife of about two weeks, though no one in the crew knew it. To them, she was simply one of those "special" victims that was reserved only for him to "torture", so they kept well enough away. _No one_ messes with the prey of Captain Adrian Snow.

"Tea, Adrian?" the object of his thoughts asked, effectively breaking him away from them. The white-haired captain looked up to his brunette wife with a sly grin. Most would see it as murderous, and given that Noemi could be quite devious herself, she found it to be quite endearing from time to time.

"That would be lovely," he responded in a chivalrous manner. He gestured for his wife to sit nearby him and she did so. He rested his head on her lap for a moment, content—for now—with the peace it provided. Naomi sifted the fingers of her empty hand through his hair, a feeling that he quite relished. Almost as amazing as torturing and breaking anew victim.

"I noticed something during the raid last week," she murmured. Snow hummed in reply, and she took that as leave to continue. "It's getting warmer. We might have to go into town for some nonperishable food. Summer won't be kind to us, and we'll have to get rid of some of the crew."

"Ooh, you know how much I _love_ going into town," he grinned in reply. Already, the mechanics of his mind were working, planning which town they would raid, and where the best possible target would be. Not to terribly protected, as he did not feel like mounting an assault yet, nor too weak, as he _did_ have an image to uphold.

"Noemi, tell me, which island supplied for your tea shop?" he inquired. Noemi thought about that for a little bit, as her own town had been ransacked a mere three months ago. She had definitely slept since then, so it took her a moment to remember.

"Coo Island," she finally stated, earning an odd look from the Captain.

"Of the entire Archipelago, you got your tea supplies from Coo Island?" he asked, knowing very little about the island itself. Only that he and his crew had not raided it yet. This would soon be rectified.

"It has the tea leaves for the Earl Grey tea you love so much," Noemi replied with a straight face. Snow became giddy at the prospect. He would _definitely_ have to find those tea leaves, even if it meant ripping apart each and every last house on the island. A task that would prove enjoyable, yet tedious.

"I suppose I should plot a course then, shouldn't I?" he asked, the fire to kill already in his veins. Noemi gladly let him up out of her lap at this point. He was far too excited for her to contain him, and nor did she feel the desire to try at this point. Quite soon, she would have to get out of the way of his murderous excitement.

Before he left the Captain's quarters, he sipped on the Earl Grey tea Noemi had brought with her when she had entered. He flashed an appreciative grin in her direction, thanking her for the tea, before zooming off to order his crew with murderous zeal. Heaven help any man, woman, or child that stood in his way now.

And so it was that on a summer day, not forty-eight hours after this conversation, the terrible Captain Snow and his murderous crew descended upon Coo Island, ravaging it for anything they could find. Captain Adrian Snow managed to find not only Earl Grey tea leaves, but also a new victim he would enjoy torturing for a long, long time.

A victim by the name of Credenza Black.

_**14AmyChan: Okay, so I know that last line was unnecessary, but…**_

_**Captain Snow: I liked it! Only you could have stood to have more blood in there**_

_**14AmyChan: I gave you cuddle time with Noemi**_

_**Captain Snow: Mine! *holds Noemi close***_

_**Noemi: *puts her arm around the temporarily docile Snow* Read and Review, please**_

_**14AmyChan: You heard the woman~! Please R&R~ *^_^***_

Next—Beach


	4. 4: Beach, AliceXRiley

_**14AmyChan: This one actually gave me a bit of difficulty. I ran through three couples before finally deciding on this one. XD**_

_**Riley: All right!**_

_**Alice: Beach time!**_

_**14AmyChan: I don't own Archipleago~!**_

Prompt 4: Beach

It was with an exuberant grin that Riley Luck brought his fiancée, Alice, to the beach that day. After the haste of saving the world, and finding his one true love, and then asking her to marry him, the two had not had a true day of fun just being together yet.

After a few moments of thought, the two had eagerly decided on the beach, a fun place for the middle of summer. Armed with their swimsuits, beach towels, sun block, and a large sun umbrella to stave off the sun's heat for a while, the two rapidly claimed their spot on a relatively empty beach and lay out for a while.

Of course, this couple is not known for simply relaxing the day away.

"Hey!" Alice squealed as Riley easily lifted her into the air, effectively kidnapping her from the relative safety of her shaded beach towel. She shrieked playfully as he ran into the water and dropped her inside its salty depths of four feet. She surfaced quickly, and she rapidly spotted her fiancée, who was laughing happily at the stunt he had just pulled.

"It's _on_, now!" she yelled triumphantly, splashing quite the wave on a still-chortling Riley. He was quickly doused, and when he was distracted by the water, tackled by Alice, quickly taking him under the water. They surfaced again, both with mischievous gleams in their eyes, allowing the water war to continue.

As the day progressed, Alice and Riley managed to initiate and end World War Water, find and explore many caves—one of which the two carved their names into—and climb atop nearby rocks to feel the salty sea air at its finest.

The two could agree that for a rambunctious couple like them, the beach was definitely the place to have the perfect date.

_**14AmyChan: Okay, I know it's short, but these things are supposed to be. XD**_

_**Riley: Alice, look at that!**_

_**Alice: I've caught bigger**_

_**Riley: Alice, I love you**_

_**14AmyChan: Please read and review! *runs away before the two can get all mushy again***_

Next—Sea


	5. 5: Sea, TuffXCassie

_**14AmyChan: Okay, here's the next prompt~! This is for Tuff and Cassie!**_

_**Tuff: Also, Amy is going to try some advice she got recently**_

_**Cassie: We hope you enjoy the read**_

_**14AmyChan: and know that the Arch characters are not mine! *^_^***_

Prompt 5: Sea

Cassie flipped her tail energetically after her boyfriend, whose tail seemed within reaching grasp. She playfully reached out for it, only for her fingers to graze the said appendage before he pushed himself further away.

She would not let him off that easily.

She pushed herself into a reef of coral and lay in wait for a little while. It took the grand total of two seconds for Tuff to realize his girlfriend was not right behind him. Playfulness wearing off and worry quickly taking its place, the wereshark doubled back easily and searched for the missing blue-skinned girl.

Cassie watched silently as Tuff chased his own tail for a little while, attempting to catch a scent of the girl from underwater. His senses were obviously confused and he spent the better part of a minute trying to straighten them out. When at last he was able to catch a hold of a good scent, he followed it closer to the coral reef.

He sniffed off to the left.

And then to the right.

He swam closer.

Cassie held her waterlogged breath.

Tuff was almost close enough now.

His blue green eyes scanned the colorful reef until they stopped at a pair of golden irises. The waters of the ocean seemed to lull into a soft current through its normally lively waters. Plant life seemed to lazily sway in the watery breeze of this extraordinary environment. Sunlight filtered through this aquatic paradise, gently casting its beams on the two creatures that had linked eyes for no more than a split second.

Cassie grinned happily as she exploded out of the coral reef and tackled her wereshark boyfriend into a waterlogged hug. The two spun carelessly in the confines of their own playground.

Their own beautiful sea.

_**14AmyChan: Okay, I know they're the shy couple, but come on! The sea is the place where only they go~!**_

_**Tuff: *looks pointedly at me***_

_**Cassie: That was a thinly veiled attempt at a song reference…**_

_**14AmyChan: I know… XD anyways, onto the next prompt! *^_^***_

Next—Sand


	6. 6: Sand, CredenzaXRaven

_**14AmyChan: Okay, so finally, Raven and Credenza!**_

_**Credenza: 14AmyChan doesn't own Arch!**_

_**Raven: why am I here again..?**_

Prompt 6: Sand

Raven sat under an umbrella at the beach, frowning miserably at the water before him.

The sea always seemed so full of life and adventure while he and the others had been saving the Archipelago from the Great Raven, though now it held little of the luster that had intrigued him in his early days of humanity. The sea was now a place that reminded him of the betrayal he had caused in the team, and the guilt that continued to plague him to this day. Raven looked away from the glistening waters.

Credenza was playing in the ocean with Alice and Riley. The whole beach trip had been their idea in the first place and Tuff and Cassie had disappeared into the ocean about an hour ago. The sun was beginning to set over the horizon line, and while Riley was a wereshark and Alice used to the frigid temperatures the ocean could quickly reach, Credenza was not. She politely excused herself and hurried to the towels where Raven sat, "guarding the area", as he had told her earlier when she had asked him to join them in the water.

Credenza had not pushed the issue.

"So, have any fun up here?" she asked casually as she wrapped a towel around her midsection. She began wringing her hair of salty seawater as she waited for the winged man to answer her. She had to wait a grand total of two minutes before he would talk to her. During that time, Credenza had managed to wring most of the water out of her hair.

"Did you have fun in the water?" he returned, not looking her in the eye. As the girl pulled her black hair into a ponytail, she could feel her face contort into confusion. Obviously, he had _not_ had fun up here on the beach, so why stay there the entire day?

"I did, but it would have been more fun with you there," she stated, looking for a reaction from her close friend. They had not made it official they were dating, and the end of their adventure had placed their relationship at stake, so not even _she_ knew what they were now.

"I doubt it," the winged man said sullenly. He knew he was a damper on every conversation now. No one knew how to talk to him anymore. Not like they really had before the betrayal…

"Why?" Credenza pushed as she made herself comfortable on the sand. Raven shrugged. Credenza narrowed her eyes. "Oh, no you don't."

"Don't what?" he questioned.

"Don't shut yourself down and out like that. You've been doing it since we beat the Great Raven," Credenza pointed out. The chestnut haired man refused to look at her. "Ever since then, you haven't made eye contact with any of us, you're acting more like a recluse, and honestly, I think you're relapsing again."

"Again?" Raven scoffed, though he could barely deny her claim. Just as he was sure no one else would know how to deal with him, he was unsure how to deal with them. How do you talk to people you have betrayed?

"You want to be human, but you also want things to be simple like they were when you were a spirit," Credenza explained. "It doesn't work like that. Humanity and mortality kind of come with struggles to deal with and mistakes to learn from."

Raven simply turned his head away from her. She did not understand, did she? The pain he was feeling? The guilt that was riddled inside him over his act of betrayal? But he could not blame her, after all. How could she know? She, whom everyone had looked to for leadership and guidance in those last few actions of battle? She, who always seemed to know right from wrong? And she who always chose right? How could she know what he was feeling like right now?

How?

"We've all been worried about you," she suddenly confessed, drawing Raven's attention back. She was looking down at a handful of sand running through her slender fingers. "All of us. We know you have to be pretty torn up over what happened, but if it's any consolation, we've already forgiven you. We just need you to forgive yourself."

"Forgive myself?" he repeated, almost tasting the words as they rolled on his tongue. The idea was so foreign…

Credenza nodded. "If you're thinking that no one is going to forgive you for what happened, you can let that one go, because we already have. And if you still feel terrible about it, it means you need to forgive yourself, learn the lesson that was taught, and start to enjoy life again. It's—"

"You say that like it's so easy," the winged man said somberly. His interruption was met with a frown.

"I never said that, but it _is_ the first step to getting your human life back on track. We all miss you, you know," Credenza said.

Raven looked down at his wing. Perhaps he _had_ been drawing this out for far too long. Maybe it was time to apologize properly and try to move on. After all, one never knew until they tried.

A few weeks later, Credenza was_ very_ glad they had had that conversation on the sand. She had gotten her Raven back.

_**14AmyChan: Okay, the ending was rushed, please don't hurt me!**_

_**Raven: Just move onto the next prompt.**_

_**Credenza: Please read and review!**_

Next—Ice Cream


	7. 7: Ice Cream, UruXAsnai

_**14AmyChan: Okay, this one's short, but**_

_**Uru: FINALLY!**_

_**Anansi: *smacks Uru's head***_

_**Uru: Ow!**_

_**Anansi: 14AmyChan doesn't own Arch**_

Prompt 7: Ice Cream

"Ah!" Anansi warned with a steely eye. Her arms—a velvet drape for today—were currently engaged in preventing a certain werewhale from performing a certain activity that he very dearly enjoyed.

"Ow, those hands of yours sure to pack a good sting," Uru complained as he nursed his hand. His plot to steal something sweet to eat foiled, the blubber man looked imploringly at his girlfriend, who was merciless. "Just a little bit?"

"No, it's too hot, and I'm not going to have you waste my cookie dough," she said as she tucked the said concoction onto the highest shelf in her home. If there was one good thing about cloth arms it was that she could extend her reach to as far as she needed. Once the dough was placed high enough to be out of Uru's hands and yet in a cold enough environment to be safe, she turned to her once-thieving boyfriend and glared.

Until his stomach began to rumble.

Both persons looked at the offending grumbling matter. One in surprise and one in clownish embarrassment. Anansi rose an eyebrow at Uru, who merely shrugged. "What, I'm hungry, and it's hot outside..."

"So cookie dough was your answer?" the seer asked, rolling her eyes. She reached back into the cool environment, and Uru thought she was finally having mercy on him. He nodded eagerly.

He was confused when she brought a tub of some strange food down instead. Where was the cookie dough? Anansi shoved the cold container and a spoon into Uru's hands with a self-satisfied smirk. Curious, the werewhale opened the jar and dipped his spoon in. He ate a tiny bit with a touch of trepidation.

"What is this?" he inquired, looking at it strangely. Anansi seemed very calm about his cautious reaction.

"Ice cream," she answered simply, offering no other explanation. She watched as the man's wariness wore off with a grin. He took a big spoonful of the sugary substance.

"I think I like ice cream," he announced, to which her smirk seemed to widen a touch.

"I knew you would."

_**14AmyChan: Short and to-the-point. XD**_

_**Anansi: Very well, next prompt**_

_**Uru: Come on Nai, have a bit of fun!**_

_**Anansi: *smirks***_

_**Uru: Am I going to regret that?**_

_**14AmyChan: Possibly...**_

Next—Swimsuit


	8. 8: Swim Suit, MikelXDeliza

_**14AmyChan: Okay, I realize they're getting smaller and smaller, but**_

_**Mikel: YOU HAVE WRITTEN A PROMPT DEDICATED TO ME AND MY WIFE!**_

_**Deliza: Dear, the baby needs a diaper change.**_

_**Mikel: *turns around and runs for baby* I'M COMING, _**_

_**Deliza: ? why did you block out our baby's name?**_

_**14AmyChan: so people get curious and actually go read the Archipelago webcomic to find out. XD**_

_**Deliza: clever**_

Prompt 8: Swimsuit

"Why not?" Mikel asked curiously from within the Royal swimming pool. It was one of his favorite places to be, if only for the reason he could still imagine his cousins taking laps in its vast depths. The pool _had_, after all, been constructed for their comfort.

Before they had left seven and a half years ago...

"I'm starting to show, and I just don't want to," Deliza said with a stubborn air. Her stomach was protruding only a touch, Mikel knew, and in his eyes, she looked even more beautiful than in the weeks previous. He swam up to the edge of the pool and gave her a longing stare.

"But the weather is warming up, and you know what the doctor said about the weather changes," Mikel reminded, a childish pout coming through in his voice.

"A bit of warm weather hardly constitutes as a chance at dehydration," the queen refuted, pouting slightly. Mikel got out of the water.

"The doctor also said the water would be good for you," he reminded her. This was, after all, one of the reasons he had secured an afternoon with his wife. The water exorcizes were supposed to help secure a safe delivery for her and for the baby, and Mikel would rather die than lose either of them in something that could have been prevented. He gently coaxed his wife out of her sitting place and nuzzled into her hair, silently pleading that she go along with the doctor's recommendations.

After a few moments, she sighed and left to change, knowing that getting into the water would help set her husband at ease. He had also—for her comfort—asked the guards to wait outside so she would not be embarrassed by her growing womb. The change on her body was difficult to deal with, but she would not wish it gone. After all, she _was_ carrying a new life.

After a few moments she returned with a sky blue swimsuit with a feathery texture consisting of reds, oranges, browns, and greens. Somehow the entire outfit—though vibrant—did not clash on itself. Rather, it simply enhanced Deliza's beauty.

At least, it did in Mikel's opinion.

"Are you happy now?" she asked as she glided into the water, shivering a bit when her tail was submerged. Mikel followed suit with a lovesick grin and quickly embraced his wife.

"You're beautiful," he whispered in her ear, causing her to flush and smile despite herself.

"You're just happy I'm wearing the swimsuit you got me for my birthday," she answered, though she made no move from his arms. She was quite content where she was, thank-you-very-much. Mikel grinned at the accusation.

_**14AmyChan: Okay, take that as you will, I'm moving to prompt 9~!**_

_**Mikel: *holding baby and wife* There is no happier man than I!**_

_**Deliza: *smiles happily***_

_**14AmyChan: Okay, so we're done with that love fest for now. Time to move to the next one~! *^_^***_

Next—Vacation


	9. 9: Vacation, JanXVanesse

_**14AmyChan: Okay, I'm sure not a lot of people remember these guys...**_

_**Jan: We're from the start of the comic, so...**_

_**Vanesse: Hello~!**_

_**14AmyChan: I don't own Arch!**_

Prompt 9: Vacation

She wiped off the last table of the day, glad that the final customer had finally gone to bed. Some poor avian whos wings had been clipped had been confined to the sea on little more than a rowboat and a stick of crackers. Someone's idea of a very cruel joke that caused Vanesse to take pity on the poor fellow and listen to him talk until two in the morning.

After the little man had gone to bed, Vanesse had cleaned up around the inn, taking note whenever she wiped down a table that was _supposed_ to be Credenza's.

Credenza... Her friend had been gone for a long time, and the poor girl was worried to death. Jan had told her of the girl's desire for the ocean, but still, Vanesse could not help but hope that the odd waitress would return once she had gotten her fill of the sea.

"Shell for your thoughts?" a helpful voice asked as a cup full of nice warm tea was slid in front of her. Slightly startled from her thoughts, Vanesse looked up to see a familiar face.

"Jan," she greeted with a smile, inviting him to take a seat next to her. He complied with her request easily. "What are you doing up so late?"

"I overheard your conversation with Lian," he confessed with a chuckle. "The potions I gave him should help his wings over the next few days, and then he'll be off in the sky again."

"That's good," she smiled softly, happy that the avian was getting the best help possible. After all, Jan _was_ the best witch doctor she had ever met. Even Credenza had thought so...

"You thinking about Credenza again?" Jan asked, somehow already knowing where her thoughts had been headed. In truth, he had been thinking about it as well. Ruin Island was not the same without the pleading Black girl who got herself into trouble and dragged everyone around her in with her. Everyone on the Island missed her and wanted her back, though no one had an inkling as to where to start looking.

"Yeah," she confessed, never having been all that good with hiding things from Jan. "She was here one day and gone the next, and we don't even know where she is..."

"Vacation," Jan said simply. Vanesse looked confused. "It helps me to think she's just on vacation. The summer months are nice for the ocean. When the weather turns colder, she'll come back."

Vanesse smiled. Since when had she been one to turn down a piece of optimism?

Never. And she was not going to start today.

"I wonder which islands she's visiting on her vacation," she mused aloud, going along with Jan's theory. The witch doctor smiled and joined his friend in her thoughts.

"She could have tried Quillotia," Jan supplied. Vanesse shook her head with a smile and a laugh.

"Too many people there, she would never be able to sit still," she put that idea down. "What about Coin Island? It's quiet there."

"It's quiet here," Jan pointed out with a chuckle. "I don't think she'd be able to stand the inactivity."

"Right..." Vanesse mused, thinking about all the places Credenza could visit on her 'vacation'. "We'll have to get her to tell us all about it when she comes back, won't we?"

"We will," Jan agreed.

The two laughed and talked and made up stories for Credenza's vacation for a few hours more. Then, something came flying through the window frantically. Vanesse's eyes widened.

"Jan, what is that?" she inquired, looking at the small blue bird. It looked completely made of magic.

"It looks like a speech mote," Jan said with surprise. He remembered learning this spell when he was very small. It took immense concentration, though this one looked more like a poot owl or something. "I wonder what the message is..."

"Maybe it's from Credenza!"

That hope led the two to gather up their friends and listen to the mote. Though what they heard began them on a quest to save Credenza from her seemingly not-so-simple vacation.

_**14AmyChan: Okay, so it wasn't summer-y, but I gave it my best shot. XD**_

_**Vanesse: You did fine~!**_

_**Jan: Please read and review!**_

Next—Party


	10. 10: Party, WilliumXNim

_**14AmyChan: This couple needs a touch more love**_

_**Nim: *holding her spear* It seems as though everyone has forgotten about us...**_

_**Willium: *holding his cards* It could be that they're so wrapped up with the current plotline they've forgotten us**_

_**14AmyChan: I haven't forgotten yooooou! I don't own Arch!**_

Prompt 10: Party

It was a warm night. Calm. Peaceful. Anything a person could want with a midsummer's night. Moonlight filtered gently through softly swaying trees, singing a sweet song for slumbering silhouettes that lay within their homes. Coin Island was completely serene at this hour of eleven o—

"Ack!" a voice cried out before the clang of metal against bone ripped through the night air. A woman—donned in a white fur hunting jacket and earth-toned pants and boots—raised her spear and allowed it to clang uselessly against the dangerous animal's skull. With a patronizing hiss, the creature turned to the demon huntress.

"You _dare_—"

Nim interrupted the demon's scoff with another hit to its head with her spear. Through her war paint, one could make out the somewhat frightening smirk on her face. "Yes, I dare, because I am the greatest demon hunter on this island!"

The creature reared its ugly head, attempting to alleviate the headache this _human_ was giving it. This weak _morsel_ should be taught a lesson. One that she would not survive to learn from, but a lesson nonetheless.

Without much warning, Nim skirted off to the peripheral vision of the monster. It turned its head to keep both eyes on its prey.

Suddenly, immense pain blossomed in the back of the creatures neck. It howled in pain and thrashed madly, knocking a second figure to the ground harshly. He made not a sound as he rose to his feet easily and pulled out one of his cards.

"The Page of Swords," Willium Drake announced, allowing a magical blue sword to protrude from the card. He charged swiftly in towards the creature, dodging attacks along the way. The creature's sole focus was on this new demon hunter.

Which allowed Nim easy access to the back of the demon, where Willium's original sword lay half-buried in the neck of the monster. As quick as lightning, the huntress grabbed the magical blue sword by the hilt and dug it further into the demon's flesh, earning another howl of pain. This injury, however, was only half of the throbbing the creature was suffering. Willium had reached his target on the underside of the thing, and had stuck his sword deep in the monster's heart.

As the two swords plunged further into the creature, it howled ferociously. One monsterous paw whacked Willium to the side, and the beast managed to fling Nim off of its back. Neither of the demon hunters returned to their prey, however.

It would be dead within a few moments should it continue to struggle.

The two watched as the life ebbed away from this monsterous killer, and both knew that their home, that Coin Island, was safe once again.

"You know, it really isn't a party unless the demon actually dies," Nim mused aloud after the creature's passing. Willium shook his head at the huntress's choice of wording before going to retrieve his cards. Nim raised an eyebrow. "I'm not wrong."

"I never said you were," he stated clearly, tossing a smirk of his own at the girl. "It's the best type of party I ever go to. The other ones are so _boring_."

With that, the two hunters continued their rounds about the island, determined to keep it safe from harm while enjoying their own little 'party'.

_**14AmyChan: Okay, that was short**_

_**Nim: You might as well not have put us in there at all!**_

_**Willum: Calm down, Nim...**_

_**Nim: Grrrr!**_

_**14AmyChan: lol, just moving onto the next prompt now! XD**_

Next—Watermelon


	11. 11: Watermelon, DaffyXSpoons

_**14AmyChan: Okay, here's another obscure couple that I wanted to include~!**_

_**Daffy: hello!**_

_**Spoons: Hey!**_

_**14AmyChan: I don't own them, nor the castle within which they dwell~! *^_^***_

Prompt 11: Watermelon

"I suppose that this is a humanoid summer tradition?" an inquisitive Seranith asked. In his forearms, he was carrying three huge clumps of fruit to his mate, who was laying out a pristine white sheet. Houndstooth Spoons lay the odd food upon the sheet.

"That's right," Symphony Daffodil chirped happily as she smoothed out the wrinkles on the sheet. She could not wait for everyone to be here so they could get this started. Cassie, after all, had told them all about this odd activity and everyone had opted to try it out. Even Tulip Crane and Ferret Sky were to come and try this out, if only for tiny Claire's sake. "It's to drive away the heat!"

"What heat?" Spoons returned. Everyone knew that this castle was cold, even during the current summer months, but everyone had insisted on this little game. Spoons himself did not mind, though if one were to be logical, they would have to conclude that there simply was no heat to drive away.

"Doesn't matter," the ever optimistic Daffy stated with a smile. It was that smile and attitude that had drawn Spoons to her in the first place, and he would not begin to dislike it now. "Cassie said it would be good fun for Claire, and something for Master Solair to see when he gets back!"

Spoons had not the heart to tell her how everyone in the castle was beginning to lose hope day by day of Master Solair ever coming back. The checks had stopped coming quite a while ago, and they were having to begin to dip into the emergency rations.

If only everyone could have Daffy's optimistic disposition…

"So what exactly are we to do with these fruits?" Spoons asked, picking up one of the three. Daffy smiled happily.

"We put them on our heads like this," Daffy demonstrated as she scooped the watermelon from her mate's hands on top of her bandana-clad head. Spoons watched with enjoyment and fascination, and a slight hint of worry.

"And then, we let them drop like this," she chirped as she allowed the watermelon to fall to the clean white sheet. After a clear second in the air, in which the sun somehow shone beautifully on the whole watermelon—as if giving it a last few glorious moments on this earth—the fruit made contact with the ground, and splattered into a few very large chunks.

Daffy's face twisted into innocent confusion.

"Where's the water…?" she inquired. From the label of the fruits—watermelon—she had assumed the food would splash all those in the vicinity will cooling water, as that seemed to be the point of this activity. Spoons chuckled merrily at her confusion as he took up one of the smaller chunks.

"I think we're supposed to eat it," he suggested as he broke his chunk in half. He offered the larger half to Daffy, who happily accepted the treat and thanked him before popping it in her mouth.

"There's the water!" she cried out, delightfully surprised. Spoons smiled at his mate's enthusiasm. Perhaps she would continue to fill him with the optimism needed to remain in this castle and care for it until Master Solair's return.

"Hey, they started without us!" a small Claire cried out as she ran to the sheet, now splattered with splotches of pinkish water. She made it to the duo in no time, her tiny dragoness face alight with curiosity. "So what's this?"

"Well…" Daffy explained yet again, very patiently. Spoons smiled from off to the side. How he loved that Seranith…

_**14AmyChan: lol, I liked writing for them, but I didn't get to see them interact a whole lot, so this scene is entirely in my head. XDD**_

_**Daffy: I hope you all had fun!**_

_**Spoons: Onto the next prompt!**_

_**14AmyChan: Indeed, please read and review for us~!**_

Next—Days


	12. 12: Days, TheoXKada

_**14AmyChan: Okay, so these guys are mentioned, like, **__**once**__**.**_

_**Kada: Well, it's not like we were alive for a very large portion of the story**_

_**Theo: We were introduced in a flashback**_

_**14AmyChan: Still, I wanted to pay homage to Credenza's parents. I don't own any of Arch, so enjoy~! *^_^***_

Prompt 12: Days

"You're doing great, just a few more!" a midwife called to the laboring woman. Said woman's black hair was sprawled all over a pillow and fisted tightly in her iron grip was the hand of her husband, who was whispering about how well she was doing.

"You're doing so well, Kada," Theo Black said softly, yet firm enough for his wife to hear him. His response was the tightening of his wife's grip and a steel look in her eye when she turned to yell at him again.

"I don't even want to hear it, Theo! Why don't you get on this bed and go through 26 hours of labor in THE HEAT OF SUMMER?!" she screeched right before another contraction hit. Theo held his wife's hand and allowed her to nearly break a few of his fingers. Thinking quickly, the man used a bit of his magic to bring some water over to his wife's bedside, where he quickly dunked a rag until it was nice and moist and then began to mop the woman's forehead.

Ah, the wonders of magic and a free hand.

"She's completely dilated! Ma'am, get ready to push," the midwife—a friendly local Seranith—informed.

"I can't!" she yelled, only to be soothed by her husband.

"Yes you can," he said firmly. "This is the second day, and it's only the start of many more. Think about when we have our child in the world? The days we will spend with her? You can teach her compassion and I magic. We can spend hours together, laughing and playing. This is the start of a whole new set of days, but we need a few more pushes to get those days started."

"Theo…" she whimpered. He pressed his lips against her sweaty forehead tenderly.

"I love you, but right now you need to push," he said. In retaliation, she screamed. She screamed loudly with a spitfire that Theo secretly hoped would not be imparted on their daughter. She screamed terribly and her hold on her husband's hand nearly tripled in strength. She screamed for half an hour before her cries would be joined with that of a wailing baby.

A wailing baby.

Theo and Kada looked wearily over at the Seranith who held their daughter with a smile. "She looks completely healthy," she announced with a smile. Without much else to say, the process of giving the child her first bath was bestowed upon her father. Once that was complete, the new family was left alone for a moment to rest. The babe was now being fed by the weary mother.

"So… this is the start?" Kada asked, now back to her docile self. Theo smiled warmly at the two women in his arms. One his wife, the other his daughter.

"It is," he stated. "Day one of our Credenza, and we'll have many more to spend with her. The happiest days of our lives…"

Kada smiled at her husband, equally eager to begin their days of parenthood. But for now, a nap did sound like a wonderful thing…

_**14AmyChan: Again, short, but I really did like it.**_

_**Kada: Those days were, in fact, the happiest of our lives**_

_**Theo: And we're so proud of how far Credenza has come.**_

_**14AmyChan: *wipes a tear* they're so sweet… Okay, please read and review and see you at the next prompt, guys~! *^_^***_

Next—Nights


	13. 13: Nights, VanjiXMona

_**14AmyChan: I almost forgot about this couple…**_

_**Mona: **__**Techincially**__**, we're a couple, but…**_

_**Vanji: Amy does not support us well**_

_**14AmyChan: Not really, and this oneshot will illuminate why.**_

_**Vanji: Amy doesn't own Arch.**_

Prompt 13: Nights

Vanji spent most of his evenings in the confines of his office, doing the tedious paperwork that made it possible to run this show. There was only so far hypnotism would work if said magics were against the law.

The crossbreed tossed another letter into the trash bin. And another. And another. Jeez, when will people learn that his most prized actor was _not_ going to leave? Not now, and not ever! Oh, look at that, another bill. Vanji sorted through everything based on relevance. The theatre made enough to support itself, but sometimes there would be _instances_ to take care of…

"Vaaanji," a voice cooed from behind. The male figure repressed the urge to groan. Not now. Could she not wait for maybe a minute or two? Or fifteen?

"Mona, I'm in the middle of some very important business," he stated. He could practically hear her pouting from behind. Why, again, did he deal with her?

"This is about that theater dinner party you want me to go with you to tomorrow night," the broken girl said. Well, not quite so broken yet. She and Vanji _had_, after all, been together for only a week. They were still working out the kinks of their—ahem—_arrangement_.

Vanji sighed. _That_ was why he put up with her. If he had a cute girlfriend on his arm, his theater would gain an influx of business, which raised his profits. And the profits were exactly what Mona was after, so it's not as though going to a party would be the end of the world for her.

"What about it?" he asked, knowing that if she refused to go, he would simply give her a slight hypnosis into changing her mind. However, he already knew that she was going, there was just something she was after and she was using the party to get it.

"I have nothing decent to put in my hair, and you told me you wanted me to look my absolute best," Mona started, motioning to the frizzy dome she called her hair. Vanji nodded, indicating that he had heard and was still listening. Oh, he still needed to pay that bill…

"But I found the most perfect flower to go in my hair, and—"

"How much is it?"

"Ninety-five shells," she stated, her face as serious as his own. Without another thought, he parted with his money and returned to his work. Mona gave him a cheery farewell as she raced through the streets for her twenty-five shell flower hair decoration. The other seventy were for herself.

Vanji already knew this, but he also knew that money was the only reason Mona stuck around. He only kept her around as a convenience. They both knew this and were both fine with it.

And on went Vanji's summer night.

_**14AmyChan: They use each other, and that's the extent of their relationship**_

_**Mona: No more**_

_**Vanji: And no less.**_

_**14AmyChan: Okay, onto the next prompt. Please read and review~! *^_^***_

Next—Cook-outs


	14. 14: Cook-out, HelenaXBicker 'n Blood

_**14AmyChan: Okay, this just had to be done**_

_**Helena: I'm the mother of the Luck twins!**_

_**Bicker 'n Blood: And I'm a father?! *faints***_

_**14AmyChan: lol, I don't own Arch. XD**_

Prompt 14: Cook-outs

Her sister's new husband sure did love to be extravagant. This was the thought that ran through Helena's mind as she escaped the rather large party from within the castle. Well, her new brother-in-law called it a _cook-out_, as everyone in the castle was now roasting some food or another over a fire, but the loud antics of the party were driving her quite insane.

This was how she found herself to be in the middle of the refreshing cool air, staring out over the sea she loved so much with nothing but a lantern to light her path. Would she ever get to journey into its depths? Would the sea be as kind to her as she tried her best to be kind towards it? Would its deep blue waters reveal to her some mystery never before solved by mankind? Or perhaps…?

Helena sighed wistfully, allowing her daydreams to whisk her away. Though usually the more practical between her and her sister, she too carried a sense of whimsical fantasy. And while her sister had dreamed of castles and royalty—a wish come true for her—Helena had always longed for the ocean. Always yearned for the sea air.

A strange purring caught the woman's attention on this midsummer's night, and she found herself peering into the darkness for its source. As she leaned forward, the purring seemed to draw back, further into the ocean that she held so near and dear to her heart. Whenever she ventured closer to the light, the purring followed.

_That's so curious,_ the new royal mused. Hesitantly, she took a step forwards, being careful to light only her path and not what was making the sound, almost frightened that the purring would leave her. She was pleased when the sound did not move.

She took another step forward. Then another. Still unaware of the source of the noise.

With each footfall, the purr came closer, and Helena could feel herself smile. She had always gotten into a bit of a knack for getting into trouble, even _if_ she were the more careful of the twins, she was also the most curious. With one final footfall to the nape of the sea, the purring stopped. Frowning, Helena steadily dropped to her knees, thinking she might have scared the gentle noise back into the ocean from whence it came.

"Don't," a male voice whispered from within the dark. By now, the dark was a thin veil between the two, and Helena was positively _dying_ to see what secrets the shadows kept from her. "Don't come near."

"Why?" she inquired, most likely pushing her luck. She took a leaned forward slightly and heard the voice's sharp intake of breath, but was pleased when she heard indicating splash of her companion swimming away. She reached her free hand forward. "It's all right, you shouldn't be afraid."

"No, but you should be," the voice returned. Though if it thought such a warning was going to deter such a curious Quillotia girl, it was sadly mistaken. "Even I'm afraid…"

"Afraid of what?" she asked gently. A damp hand gently placed itself over her own, exerting little to no pressure whatsoever. Almost as though it—_he—_were afraid of breaking her should he be careless. Helena turned her hand over gently, feeling the hand that now had her own.

Strange, that such a creature with a kind touch would speak to her as though he were dangerous. She wanted so _badly_ to see the face to which the voice belonged.

"Can I see your face?" she asked. The lantern was just behind her, and she could easily move it so she could see, but she felt it necessary to warn the person before doing so. A long silence was permitted between the new acquaintances before the grip on her hand began to slacken.

Instinctually, she held on a little tighter.

"Once you see, you'll scream," he warned. Helena's face drew into a frown. Was he deformed? Did he think that whoever would look upon him would cry out in horror and disgust?

"I won't," she promised, her voice hard. No matter what, she vowed she would not scream. The man tried to release his hand from hers, and she felt conflicted. She did not want to force this man to allow her to see her, but nor did she want him to feel like she was okay with letting him go. So she simply kept an even pressure on his hand.

He finally sighed.

"You may look," he whispered, and he almost sounded ashamed to say it. Gingerly, Helena reached behind her and grabbed her lantern. She shifted it to the side, just a tiny amount, so she could look upon his face. Once she did, a gentle smile broke out across hers.

"You had me worried that I wouldn't like you or something," she said to the sharkman, whose flame-red hair was damp from the ocean water and whose shark-skinned hand was still within her grasp. She searched his entire face—from his snout to his razor sharp teeth to his eyes.

She searched those eyes. She found fear. She found hope. She found kindness.

"Most would have run away by now," he stated, his sharky accent coming into focus for Helena for the first time. She smiled at the revelation.

"I'm not running away," she said as she made herself comfortable. She removed her shoes and dipped her feet into the water while the sharkman hesitantly offered his other arm to the land. They sat there—hand in hand—for a little while, taking in the lull of the ocean's crashing waves upon a shoreline that was not but a mile away. Watching the moon and its evanescent glow in the sky, surrounded by miles worth of beautiful twinkling lights. Tasting the salt on the wondrous ocean air.

"What is your name?" the sharkman asked after a few moments of silence. Helena could tell that he was getting used to the presence of one who did not obviously fear him, and she could tell it was a change he happily welcomed.

"I'm Helena," she answered, smile never leaving her face. "How about you? Got a name?"

"I am called Bicker 'n Blood," he introduced himself. Helena raised a brow in confusion, but let the name pass. However, it still _was_ strange to her. After another moment, she heard something from her new friend, a sniffing sound. At first, she thought that perhaps she had offended or upset him somehow by not commenting on his name.

Then she realized he was sniffing the air.

"What is that?" he inquired, his eyes wide and looking in the direction of the castle. Though she herself could not smell what he obviously had, there was almost no doubt of the new scent that he had caught on the wind.

"_That_, my friend, is a cook-out," she informed, and was a little shocked to find his head turn around at an alarming rate to look her in the eye. Those kind eyes searched hers for a moment, and she had no idea what he was looking for or even if he would find it.

"Friend?" he asked, obviously not used to the term.

"Yup, you're my friend from now on," she said. Then backtracked. "I mean, you are if you want to be…"

"No, I would like to be your friend," the wereshark said with a smile. A true smile that made Helena so very, very glad that she had skipped out on the cook-out.

_**14AmyChan: And that's how I envision Helena's and Bicker 'n Blood's meeting~! *^_^***_

_**Helena: I don't think the comic ever mentioned my sister and I being twins…**_

_**14AmyChan: Didn't mention Bicker 'n Blood's name either, so I had to do a bit of digging. XDD**_

_**Bicker 'n Blood: Read and review, and thank you!**_

_**14AmyChan: Next prompt!**_

Next—Red, White, and Blue


	15. 15: Red, White, and Blue, StellarXWives

_**14AmyChan: I don't even know these chicks names...**_

_**Stellar: Would knowing them make them less aggravating?**_

_**14AmyChan: Probably not. After all, **__**you**__** know their names. XD**_

_**Stellar: *grumbles heavily***_

_**14AmyChan: I don't own Arch~! *^_^***_

Prompt 15: Red, White, and Blue

Stellar wiped his bloody hands clean. For a summer afternoon's death match, it had gone surprisingly well. And with a seagull chieftain, no less.

With a satisfied air, the avian turned to collect his winnings. There would be many new recruits for the Raven tonight and—

"What is this?" Stellar exclaimed, having been ambushed by three eerily delighted female avians only a moment after the battle had been won. "Release me!"

"Cuurr?" one of the females, with blue tipped feathers, asked another. All three burst into eerie giggles which irked the champion to no end.

"Speak in plain Archipelagian," he commanded. The second of the three—whose feathers were tipped in red—chirped loudly as she began to mock him.

"Purr curr aroo!" she ordered with a straight face before dissolving into fits of unrestrained giggles. Stellar had about enough of these insolent girls and began to stalk off towards his winnings, only to be tailed by all three. They were watching him with extreme amusement in their eyes.

Stellar grumbled as he shoved all of his winnings into a large sack. There was a nice amount of gold here, as well as him having complete control of the village for now. He would probably stick around for a day or so to let the Raven do his work. Whoever was converted would go with him and add to the ever-growing army. Whoever refused the Raven's offer deserved to perish anyways.

One of the small trinkets was plucked from Stellar's hand by the third woman. She ogled the item and then stuck it in her hair, leading to a frustrated captain.

"Go away!" he snapped, only to elicit more giggles from the women.

"Aroo aiee purr coo woo!" the third one—whose feathers were white pretty much all the way through—chided playfully, and Stellar felt his face drain of color. Since when the heck had three wives been in the deal!?

As he stood there in befuddlement, his new wives cackled with obvious delight. It was then that he knew. It was then that the captain knew. His own hell had not come in one color. Not in two. But in three.

His own hell was red, white, and blue.

_**Stellar: *nods head* That's exactly what they've been, too...**_

_**14AmyChan: Let's see, you said they were carnivorous, obsessed with shiny things, and refuse to speak the normal language.**_

_**Stellar: That's only **__**three**__** of their offenses...**_

_**14AmyChan: Well, since the rest would take too much time to name, we're just gonna move to the next prompt. XD**_

Next—Surfing


	16. 16: Surfing, TuffXCassie

_**14AmyChan: Okay, I'm late, but I lost my flash drive!**_

_**Cassie: Oh, goodness!**_

_**Tuff: Did you get it back?**_

_**14AmyChan: Yeah! But enough of my excuses, I don't own Arch!**_

Prompt 16: Surfing

"I got it..." she said as she wavered on the board a little bit. Her statement was soon followed by the wave swallowing her up and causing a severe wipeout. She flew from the board and splashed into the water as her boyfriend retrieved said board.

"I don't got it," she pouted as soon as she resurfaced. She shot the seemingly innocent surfboard a glare within her boyfriend's hands. The good natured sharkman chuckled.

"You'll get it down soon, Cassie," Tuff encouraged. The fish girl smiled bashfully as she reached for the board. It had been something that had caught both of their attentions in a book they had read, so now they were trying it together.

"Thanks, Tuff," she smiled back as she got on her board once more. The shy sharkman nodded with a bashful grin as he hopped on his board. "Ready for round fifteen?" she asked, worn, but enjoying herself.

The smile on her face would have propelled Tuff to surf all day if that was what she wanted.

"You got it," he said as they prepared for another wave.

_**14AmyChan: So, yeah, it was really short. I'm so sorry!**_

_**Tuff: Don't worry**_

_**Cassie: We had fun with it. It was new.**_

_**14AmyChan: Thanks, guys! Please read and review~! *^_^***_

Next—Fireflies


	17. 17: Fireflies, DragonflyXOlivia

_**14AmyChan: I was so waiting for this prompt!**_

_**Dragonfly: Not much is explored about mine and Olivia's relationship**_

_**Olivia: This takes place while Dragonfly is getting used to being human**_

_**14AmyChan: I don't own Arch~! *^_^***_

Prompt 17: Fireflies

"Are you sure you wanna try this?" a dark-skinned girl inquired as her friend led her up a hill. Despite being human for only a short while, he was already very apt with physical activity. "Just a few minutes ago you were leaking like a child."

The fair man with the long hair grimaced at the reference. He was still not used to all these human emotions and uncertainties, and with working on the book for so long, when his magician friend had proposed a break he had all but torn his head off nodding in acceptance.

But not until he was done bursting into random tears. Olivia had called them tears of relief, even though Dragonfly was confused by the terminology. He decided to let it pass. He was doing that more and more lately.

"I'm sure! This is going to be my first time seeing them with human eyes!" he exclaimed, pointing to the two facial features with a grin. Olivia laughed as she jogged to catch up with the man, her enchanted keys rattling against her leg. As she got to the top of the hill, the sun was just setting over the horizon, casting the world about them in a beautiful summer's dusk glow.

"And now we wait?" Olivia asked, wondering if the overly excited man would be willing to do so. She need not have worried, though.

"And now we wait," Dragonfly stated as he found a comfortable place to sit. He patted the ground beside him for Olivia, a place which she took with a relieved smirk. Both of them were comfortable and cool in the night air, waiting for a sight that would be absolutely beautiful.

"There!" Olivia cried out softly, catching Dragonfly's attention. He looked in the direction where she was pointing, but could not see it.

"Where?" he asked. She responded by a giggle and pointing again, her eyes wide as she watched. Dragonfly waited for a moment before it finally came into view.

A single firefly had flown to the top of the hill and was now performing tricks. It made the night sky a little bit lighter and brighter with its mere presence and Dragonfly was simply enthralled by the small bug. Olivia herself was also captured by the small bug's zeal.

They were so engulfed with the one firefly, that they almost missed the arrival of the swarm. Fireflies danced around the hill, lighting up the summer night. Olivia laughed in merriment as she set her head against the Dragonfly's shoulder. The man also released a hearty laugh.

Because even if there were multiple fireflies here tonight, his Olivia would always shine the brightest.

_**14AmyChan: Okay, I hope you enjoyed that, because my brain farted halfway through. XD**_

_**Dragonfly: It was fine**_

_**Olivia: Fun fact is that I always show up as a firefly**_

_**14AmyChan: so that's why I thought of this pairing for this word. Anyhoot, please read and review~! *^_^***_

Next—Fire


	18. 18: Fire, AnthonyXChesska

_**14AmyChan: I know I'm sorry!**_

_**Anthony: The world does not need apologies, just stories**_

_**Chesska: *rolls eyes***_

_**14AmyChan: All right, I don't own Arch~! *^_^***_

Prompt 18: Fire

It was a summer's night that found Chesska out on the rainy slopes of rock that surrounded her home. Well, it was hers and Anthony's home, and that was something she could not be more grateful for. Anthony had been one of the only people to view her as more than a bargaining chip, servant, or stain upon an otherwise noble bloodline. It had been him who had sought her out while she was teaching the nobles' children and him who had initiated a friendship with her.

What could she say, what a Solair wanted, he got. Especially if it were Anthony.

She smiled as she maneuvered around yet another treacherous rock. She had been out here only to see if there was any sort of ground fertile for growing her beloved plants, but it seemed as though the greenhouse were truly her only option.

Not that she minded, of course, if she were with Anthony then everything would turn out just—

Chesska slipped on a rock that she had not been paying close enough attention to and was quickly careening towards the ground. She held her hands out to brace her fall, but her fingertips never even brushed against the rock when she felt a pair of very familiar talons wrap themselves around her waist.

Two seconds later she was up in the air, being held securely by those gentle claws and being saved from the constant rain by the relatively large body above her. Though the trip from the path to the castle by air was only a few moments, Chesska relished every second of it.

"Chesska!" her childhood friend, Cassie, exclaimed as soon as the duo was in view. Anthony set her down carefully on the porch before allowing himself to land and shift back into human form. That done, he ushered her into the house and asked the blue skinned girl to fetch her a set of dry clothes.

"What were you doing outside in the rain for so long?" Anthony inquired in that demanding voice of his, though Chesska knew it was only because he was worried for her health.

"I wanted to see if there was any place for a garden," she replied meekly, a silly smile on her face. She never liked making her husband worry, but she somehow ended up doing so on a relatively abnormal basis.

"I see..." he said with a downcast look, and Chesska could instantly read his face like a cover of a book. He was upset again that they had to live on this cold rock and that he could not provide better for her at the moment.

It was for this reason that she reached up and pulled her husband closer to her.

"Anthony..." she said when he refused to come near. So she simply went to him and enveloped him in a hug. "Anthony, it just means we get to use the greenhouse. All the plants will be in one place rather than all over the island."

Anthony looked as though he were about to smile when Chesska let out a sneeze. It was at that time Cassie came back to the room with some clothes for the wet girl to change into.

As Chesska changed with Cassie's aid, Anthony turned and began to stroke a fire. A bit of wood and a large breath later, there was a roaring fire before them casting the room in its warm glow. Despite the castle being made of rock and hard stone, the entire space seemed a little warmer.

"Cassie, can you check on Spindle for a moment?" Chesska asked kindly. Realizing that she wanted a moment alone with her husband, Cassie smiled and nodded before leaving the room. Chesska moved to stand beside her husband in front of the fire.

"I should be able to do better than this for you," he muttered angrily. "You don't need to be afraid of walking around your own home for fear of falling to your death on the rocks. You don't need to be cold all the time. You don't need to be worried about getting sick for staying outside for too long. You don't need—"

"All I need is you," Chesska interrupted, her arm already around the shoulders of her husband. When given an incredulous look, she only returned it with a smile. "So just sit with me for now and enjoy the fire, all right?"

Anthony looked at his wife. He loved her so much, and only wanted to give her the best. But that look she was giving him...

How could he say no?

And so, on a rainy summer's night, Anthony and Chesska sat before the fire, simply enjoying the presence of each other.

_**14AmyChan: Okay, I hope you liked that~! *^_^* Next on the list!**_

Next—Pool


	19. 19: Pool, AliceXRiley

_**14AmyChan: Okay, I'm really, really late**_

_**Riley: But at least you're on the ball again!**_

_**Alice: AmyChan doesn't own Arch**_

_**14AmyChan: Enjoy!**_

Prompt 19: Pool

"Riley, are you sure we're supposed to be here?" Alice Luck asked her husband as he brought her through the hallways of the castle. Ever since she had gotten pregnant, Mikel had been very insistent upon lending a few of his guards to the protection of his adorable future niece or nephew. Riley had only accepted the help on the conditions that the guards not discriminate against himself or his wife and that they get at least two hours during the daytime to themselves.

Because Riley knew what happened when you outright opposed Mikel's good natured but often overly drastic offers of help.

"Not really!" Riley grinned toothily as he dragged his wife around another corner. They had taken their two hour guard break about thirty minutes early and were currently fleeing from said guards. Even though it was the middle of summer, the guards were quick, but the ever-rambunctious duo was faster.

Two hallways and a few corners later, Riley yanked his wife into a room and dead bolted the door, panting as he laughed. Alice joined him.

"I can't…believe…it's only been… two weeks…" Riley laughed quietly, sure that the guards could not hear him. Alice chuckled.

"Hey…it was…_your_ idea…to tell them…so soon," she reminded him as she laughed. Riley grinned as he finally caught his breath. He stood straight to see which room he had landed them in and felt himself be filled with many memories. He grinned gleefully as he ran forward.

"Riley?" Alice inquired when she could no longer see her husband. She felt around for a moment and found a light switch. She flicked it on.

_SPLASH!_

Alice turned around in confusion before finding her husband in the midst of a giant swimming pool. The thing was HUGE! Large enough to fit two of her family's fishing boats inside whilst allowing them to do laps around each other, and Riley was in the middle of it, grinning like a child on Christmas day.

There was one edge that had been transformed to look as though it were the shore of a beach, and another corner of the expanse looked as though it were mimicking a shaded alcove. Around the perimeter of the rest of the pool were rocks and boulders from which people could leap into the pool, and Alice assumed it was deep (with the exception of the "beach", of course).

"This is—" Alice gasped, her green eyes glistening with excitement. She had never seen a pool such as this before, and Riley seemed to understand. He clambored out of the water in order to offer her a hand.

"Care to take a swim with me?" he asked, his grin never really faltering. She gestured to herself.

"I'm not exactly dressed for swimming," she pointed out.

"Am I?" he countered.

"Touché."

"All right then!"

"Ah! Riley!"

"Cannonball!"

_SPLASH!_

"Riley Luck, you are gonna pay for that!"

"You'll have to catch me first!"

"Gladly!"

* * *

Mikel grinned as he positioned the guards outside of the pool. He knew the duo would find it eventually, and he hoped the would make good use out of the room. After all, water exercises were very beneficial to a healthy baby. After all, he should know.

With that, he hefted the two year old child onto his shoulder and made his way to the child's room. It seemed as though _someone_ were ready for his midmorning nap.

_**14AmyChan: lol, sorry, I had to sneak him in there somewhere! XD**_

_**Riley: You think we would wait so long to have kids?**_

_**14AmyChan: My personal headcannon is that you guys wanted kids, but had to try for a while to get one.**_

_**Alice: We're gonna have gorgeous red headed freckled Quillotian babies!**_

_**14AmyChan: Yes, yes you are~! Now, to the next prompt, and don't forget to read and review on this one!**_

Next—Fireworks


	20. 20: Fireworks, VanesseXJan

_**14AmyChan: Okay, took me a moment to think this up, but I really liked it!**_

_**Vanesse: You wrote on us again!**_

_**Jan: Cool!**_

_**14AmyChan: I don't own any of the Arch characters~! *^_^***_

Prompt 20: Fireworks

Vanesse could remember her first encounter with the island's magician boy. Most would assume that they had met while he was tending to an animal, or while she was learning to bus tables. These two things could not be further from the truth.

It had happened one breezy summer's night when she was four. She had been playing in the front yard and had eventually wandered off a bit too far. She had gotten lost in the dark and scary forest, which—to a four year old—is a very terrifying place to be indeed.

The poor tot had sat on her bum and cried. She had cried for a long time, fearful of the monsters in the dark that were out to get her.

_Pop!_

Vanesse had looked up from her crying then, startled by the sudden and unfamiliar noise. However, rather than the growls of the forest or the snapping of twigs she expected, what she had gotten was a rather comical—

_Pop!_

There it was again! Vanesse searched for the source of the noise when she noticed something that was rapidly fading back into darkness.

Her shadow.

But there was no sun to make a shadow right then. It was dark. It was night. It was—

_Pop!_

There it was again! But there was a lot of light around her. Vanesse turned around to see where the light was coming from.

Up in the sky, there was something very bright and very blue. Vanesse had made her way towards it then, not wanting to be alone in the dark anymore. The light looked like it was about to fade! She had to—

_Pop!_

Another one flew in the air, just as bright and blue as the one before it. Vanesse hurried towards it even more. She ducked around bushes and trees, but never lost sight of the light that kept flying into the air.

_Pop!_

_Pop!_

_Pop!_

The girl cleared through another branch and fell into a clearing, hitting her chin somewhere along the way. She heard a soft gasp before opening her eyes.

Before her was a small boy, roughly her age or so. He must have been the one to be sending up the lights.

"Um…hello," he said awkwardly. He reached a hand forward and helped her up. Vanesse took his hand thankfully and allowed him to help her. "Do you know the way home?"

Vanesse could only shake her head. The boy gave an understanding 'oh' before looking into the sky. The little girl watched as her new companion placed his hands together and shot another brilliant light into the night sky, allowing the blue sparks to rain down over them.

_Pop!_

"It looks very pretty," she said shyly. The little boy stopped for a moment before nodding his head. "What's your name?"

"I'm Jan," he answered quietly. In the dim light she could see the boy fiddling a little bit with his shirt. "What about you, miss?"

"I'm Vanesse," she introduced herself with a small curtsey of her little dress and a tiny smile. The boy—Jan—had nodded then, as the light had grown dimmer. He repeated his earlier actions.

_Pop!_

"How come you're in the forest making pretty lights?" she asked him with big eyes. Jan rubbed the back of his head.

"I fell asleep earlier… I woke up and I can't find my way back, so I'm making daddy's signal…" he stated, embarrassed at first but somewhat proud of himself towards the end.

"Daddy's signal?" she inquired, turning her head slightly. Jan nodded.

"Daddy taught it to me and said if I ever got lost, I was supposed to make these," he answered with a bit of confidence. Vanesse smiled.

"Oh," she said.

_Pop!_

_Pop!_

"…jan!..." a voice called in the distance, and both children perked their ears. "…vanesse!..."

"Daddy!" Jan called back eagerly. The light was strong right now, so he could use his hands to help him shout. Vanesse helped him.

"Mister Jan's Daddy!" she shouted into the night.

"…Jan!" the voice sounded closer now. "…Vanesse!"

"We're over here!" the two children chorused just in time to see a large man crash through the underbrush. Jan ran towards the man and hugged him, so Vanesse did as well.

"You two worried all of us back at the inn," Jan's father scolded as he took the two children in his arms and began walking back towards civilization. Well, what was civilization for Ruin Island. "Thank goodness you're safe."

"You should thank Jan, he had pretty lights that helped me find him!" Vanesse smiled as she looked towards her new friend. Jan looked down, but it was apparent to all that he was smiling. Mostly because he had gotten the spell right (after two hours of trying, but hey, he still got it right!), and partly because he had gotten complimented.

Jan's father chuckled. "Fireworks. We call them fireworks."

"Oh, well I like fireworks!" Vanesse smiled. Jan and his father laughed, and so she did as well.

When the children were returned to their homes that night, they had done so with the promise to play the next day. And the day after that. And the day after that.

And that was how Vanesse had met the man she now calls her husband.

_**14AmyChan: Yes, I had to add that part in there. XDD**_

_**Jan: I don't mind.**_

_**Vanesse: Me, either!**_

_**14AmyChan: Okay, so long as we're not minding, please read and review and stay tuned for the next oneshot~! *^_^***_

Next—Sunburn


	21. 21: Sunburn, RavenXCredenza

_**14AmyChan: I LOVE THIS COUPLE SO MUCH!**_

_**Raven: You love our poetically tragic lovestory.**_

_**Credenza: Blunt but true.**_

_**14AmyChan: Oh, hush you two! I don't own Arch~! *^_^***_

Prompt 21: Sunburn

"Ow!" Raven hissed as Credenza lightly caressed his back, spreading lotion over it. The sensation of pain was at once wonderful and dreadful. Wonderful because it meant he was human and had a somewhat human life. Dreadful because—well, it was pain.

"Oh, stop it, bird boy, I'm almost done," Credenza tried to soothe in her most Credenza way as she ghosted her fingers along Raven's shoulders, applying the gel. Despite getting the least amount of sun on that hot summer's day, the poor birdman had gotten the worst of all sunburns. Worse still was the fact that he was not aware how these particular injuries worked in time.

Raven, on his end, was torn. Whenever Credenza touched him he felt a searing pain on his skin, which he did not like. Still, it somehow tickled. How could two sensations—one enjoyable and the other not so much—come from one action? He was confused, but his skin hurt too much for him to pour too much thought into it.

"There, done," she stated. The man exhaled loudly, showing his intense displeasure for the burns all over his back. From the cape of his neck to the backs of his feet, he was torched, and all because he had fallen asleep on the beach under the umbrella.

_Evidently_, the infernal thing could not do its job correctly.

Credenza lifted herself off of Raven's bed to put the gel away and the man instantly missed her company. She had spent all day in the ocean and he had looked forward to talking about how her day had gone in the water. Now he was in too much pain to quite process it even if she did start talking about it.

Suddenly, the back of his neck bristled at an abrupt contact, but soon sighed in relief. Figuratively, of course. The same happened with his back and the back of both calves. He peeked out from the crook of his arm and eyed Credenza, who had a very self-satisfied smirk on her face.

"What did you do?" he asked, curious as to her remedy that seemed to be working for now.

"I got a few rags damp with cold water and put those on your burns," she explained as she sat on his bed. He was about to question the action when she continued. "I'll have to flip them in a few moments."

"Why?" he asked, though he need not have. Credenza flipped all the rags in the order in which she had set them down in the first place. Raven had not noticed that they had felt warm until the cool water from the other side had quenched his skin's thirst for coolness.

"That's why," she responded when she heard him sigh in content. Out of habit, she reached to the back of Raven's head and began to scratch lightly at it. She smiled when she saw him smile. Things were like this for a few moments before Credenza felt she needed to redampen the rags in cold water. She removed her hand and the rags from Raven's back and left for the adjacent bathroom to deal with the rags.

"Credenza…" Raven said, causing the girl to hum, indicating that she had heard him. "I love you…"

Credenza felt her smile soften at the man. "I love you, too."

"But I hate these sunburns," he muttered, causing the girl to laugh at his misfortune.

_**14AmyChan: lolol, I seriously love them. XD**_

_**Raven: Stupid sunburns…**_

_**Credenza: *scrtchs the top of Raven's head***_

_**Raven: *grins goofily***_

_**14AmyChan: lolol, I will forever love that scene. XDDD Anyhoot, please read and review~! *^_^***_

Next—Fun


	22. 22: Fun, NoemiXSnow

_**14AmyChan: Short, but I wanted to do these two again**_

_**Noemi: This is more of a reflective piece**_

_**Snow: *looks it over***_

_**14AmyChan: I don't own Archipelago!**_

Prompt 22: Fun

Noemi knew there were several classifications under the word "fun" for Captain Adrian Snow. The most commonly known showed his murderous streak, where he would be known to positively _thrive_ on the agonized wails of his victims and _swim_ in their forcibly drawn blood. He thoroughly enjoyed making his prisoners bend and break to his will, almost as much as he enjoyed instilling that same fear into his crew.

Death and destruction followed in Snow's wake, and that was what most people thought he deemed as fun. Their mistake was that they believed this was his _only_ definition of fun.

But Noemi knew better.

She knew that on a warm summer's day, one of his definitions of fun included a steaming cup of tea and a few stolen books. If his reputation would allow it, he would spend _days_ enthralled with the adventures of other, lesser pirates.

Also, in the heat of summer, he would seek her out. They would have fun together, plotting courses for the next raid, having petty fights that would only end with the dismemberment of a crew member, or even simply being with each other.

These were a few secrets of Snow's "fun" that she carried with her silently. She always rolled her eyes at her captain's insufferable and generally disloyal crew. Oh, there were a few who seemed more loyal than the rest, but even those were horrible. They knew not the Captain Snow that she knew.

And as she stood beside her husband, enjoying the thought of their next raid, she knew that she had the most knowledge of the lot of them.

After all, not all men would read poetry and consider it fun, and then turn around and think it fun to kill hundreds of innocent villagers just for the heck of it.

It was one of the reasons she loved him.

_**14AmyChan: Ahm… *at the end of Snow's blade* help me out?**_

_**Snow: There was not enough blood.**_

_**Noemi: I can't save you now.**_

_**14AmyChan: um… *reaches for audience* Save me with your reviews! Please!**_

Next—"It's Just a Summer Thing"


	23. 23: It's Just a Summer Thing, DXM

_**14AmyChan: Okay, I showcase two relationships in this one**_

_**Deliza: One of them is romantic**_

_**Mikel: And the other**_

_**Tuff and Riley: Is strictly platonic/brotherly**_

_**14AmyChan: I don't own the Arch characters~! *^_^***_

Prompt 23: "It's Just a Summer Thing…"

Deliza watched as Mikel's cousins ran around the grassy area near the ocean with fervor. It seemed as though Riley had taken something of Tuff's and was being chased for this crime. The woman sighed happily as she felt two strong and familiar arms encase her from behind.

"What you're looking at cannot _possibly_ be more interesting than I, right?" Mikel asked playfully. Deliza knew that simply meant he was curious about what she was looking at.

"They've been more restless these past few months," she observed as the shark twins got into a scuff. None of the guards moved to intercept them or break the fight apart. They simply stood by and watched as the twins nearly bit each others heads off.

"They get like that every year," Mikel smiled as he watched his cousins fight. "It certainly makes parties a lot more fun!"

"Have they ever gotten hurt before?" she inquired. Riley had just gotten lose of Tuff and was running around again. Tuff was not far behind his twin. Mikel laughed.

"Almost every time they draw a bit of blood here and there. Usually it's accidental and then they separate for a while and cool off, and then they're right back at it," he told her. She turned and looked at him with a curious eye, which he returned.

"Don't you think you should stop them before they draw blood?" she asked. While both were extremely good with their sharky sides, everyone feared what would happen if they saw the red bodily fluid. Mikel chuckled good naturedly and shook his head.

"We tried that once when they were five. Three guards went home with bruises on them and Tuff still managed to bust a lip," he recalled. "But that was because he ran into the wall…"

"So every time they draw blood it's because of an accident?" Deliza asked. Mikel nodded.

"Those two wouldn't dream of hurting the other," he clarified. "They only felt they had each other for years, and then they left and they _really_ had only each other because they wouldn't come back home. But every year, they get energetic and playful and they keep going until one of them ends up hurt."

"So it's a yearly thing?" she asked as Riley hopped over a wall. Tuff swerved to avoid it and everyone could see Riley laughing loudly before running off again. Tuff picked up speed. Mikel shook his head.

"Nah, it's just a summer thing," he said. "Don't worry, they'll be fine."

"I'm not worried," she smiled before turning around and looking at her husband. "After all, they dealt with being your cousin, didn't they?"

"Ouch, how you wound me so," he stated dramatically, releasing one hand from her waist to place upon his forehead, emphasizing his hurt. Deliza chuckled as she stood on her tip toes and kissed him on the nose.

"Yes, but I love you, and you love me, so we're even," she stated as a matter of fact. The two walked away from the window right before Tuff slipped on the grass and hit his head. Riley howled in laughter before the former jumped up and tackled him to the ground.

Evidently, extreme playfulness is just a summer thing.

_**14AmyChan: Okay, so I just wanted to do that for my only reviewer**_

_**Tuff: Who had asked for her to do something**_

_**Riley: With our brotherly bond of awesomeness!**_

_**Deliza: And she wanted to do something with Mikel and I once again**_

_**Mikel: Very effective, AmyChan!**_

_**14AmyChan: Thank you~! *^_^* Please read and review~!**_

Next—Ice


	24. 24: Ice, LucindaXKnull

_**14AmyChan: Okay, I still ship these two!**_

_**Lucinda: It appears she will ship us for the remainder of time.**_

_**Knull: I-I don't m-mind**_

_**14AmyChan: I don't own Arch~! *^_^***_

Prompt 24: Ice

Lucinda walked around the ship with her dress being completely unaffected by the rambunctiousness of her crewmates. It was still the same shade as when she had left the abbey, and still as put together. She walked through the submarine, ignoring the normal quarrel between Han and Kurr while simultaneously performing an errand for the captain.

She was to gather supplies from the nearby village.

"L-Lucinda!" a familiar voice called as she exited the sub. She halted for a moment to allow him to catch up with her, then continued on her stroll. "L-Lucinda, t-the cap-ptain asked me t-to go with y-you to the s-store. I-is that all-all right with y-you?"

"That is fine," she responded noncommittally. She told herself that she neither preferred his company nor despised it, but that having him along may deter others who would get in her way on this summer's errand.

"N-normally, uncle w-would ch-charge the t-town, but p-people aren't s-s-supposed to know that h-he's alive yet," Knull rambled shyly. Lucinda nodded curtly to indicate that she had heard him. The two walked at a slow and steady pace, making their way into the town with no troubles and time to spare.

Lucinda walked briskly, keeping Knull in the corner of her eye, lest he get lost in the crowd. So early in their mission, they could not afford to lose even one member of their team.

This was what she told herself.

"L-Lucinda, I s-see it," Knull pointed, smiling through his stutter. He pointed ahead of them and the emotionless girl followed his gaze. "It's o-over there."

With a curt nod, Lucinda kept her steady pace, and Knull remained by her side. They entered the store and she pulled out the list of items she needed to acquire for the captain. With a glance towards her companion to assure herself that he was following, she set off in pursuit of the needed item.

"I-ice?" Knull asked when they arrived at their destination. Lucinda nodded curtly before explaining.

"It appears as though the captain is going to freeze a small number of the bodies gathered so he may torture them for a longer duration of time. It appears as though the summer heat takes away from the pleasure he derives from the activity," she told him, her face completely passive. Knull looked a bit green.

"I-I see," he said. No words were exchanged as they loaded up on the frozen liquid, paid at the counter for the goods, and left the store. Their stroll back to the submarine was quiet, but neither felt uncomfortable. One knew that the other was content in the silence, and so he was happy with that.

Upon returning to the submarine, the duo dropped off their bought items in the captain's quarters, a very dangerous task considering his mood at the moment, and quickly departed towards the kitchen. Knull began to make tea only for Lucinda to gently shove him aside and take the task over.

"Thank you for accompanying me to the store today, Knull," she recited, though there was something off about her normally sans-emotion voice. Was there a tint of genuine gratitude in there?

If Knull noticed, he did not make a rather large deal out of it, for which Lucinda was grateful.

"Y-you're welcome."

_**14AmyChan: I like to think that even early on Lucinda preferred the company of docile Knull to the others on the ship, if only for the reason that he was quieter and less bloody. *^_^***_

_**Lucinda: We thank you for reading this material.**_

_**Knull: A-and p-please r-review!**_

_**14AmyChan: You two are cute and I ship you forevaaaaah!**_

Next—Freedom


	25. 25: Freedom, UruXAnansi(casual friends)

_**14AmyChan: Okay, I'm late and I may not make it because school started up again!**_

_**Anasi: I do not see much free time in your future.**_

_**Uru: AmyChan doesn't own Arch!**_

_**14AmyChan: why me…? TT^TT**_

Prompt 25: Freedom

Uru bustled around tables on Paper Island. Once everything had settled down, he had returned to the place his Jabberwocky self had called "home" and had been employed as a server in the theatre where Kor worked. The ex-thief had been grateful for the help, but now most everyone knew him as the most charming, most funny, most reliable—

"Uru, cleanup on table four!" his boss yelled from inside the kitchen. The man sighed. He had just been in the middle of thinking how great he was.

As Uru cleaned the dirty dishes off of one of the tables, he thought about how it was not so bad here at the Gallimaufry. Yeah, he had to work about ten hours a day, but at least it was doing something he sort of enjoyed, rather than how he used to live his life. A slave at first to himself and his hunger and his laziness and thieving to make a living, then a literal slave on captain Snow's ship.

His life had not been easy to come to this point.

"You look like you're in deep thought," a voice stated from the table next to him. Uru turned his head and a charming smile popped onto his face without his prompting.

"And you sound so surprised, Miss Anansi," he responded as he finished wiping down table four. He then sauntered over to table five, which was in his jurisdiction anyways. "Are you here to see Kor? Because he's still in rehearsal right now. Won't be here for another hour."

"I already knew that, just like I know you've been thinking of something pretty heavy," she responded, taking a sip of her drink. Uru felt his face flush a little bit. She knew so much, it was somewhat unnerving.

"Shell for a fortune," he grinned slyly as he tossed a shell over to her. She caught it with her right sleeve, an unamused expression on her face.

"Fortunes go for about twenty shells," she said. Uru grinned and shrugged his shoulders with noncommittance. Anansi sighed. "You're thinking about how you like this lifestyle more than the one you used to, but also about its drawbacks."

"Okay, you're scary," Uru laughed, neither confirming nor denying her assertation. Anansi shrugged.

"I also know what it is about this life that you like more."

"Oh?" he asked, interested. "What is that?"

"Freedom."

"But I'm pretty much a slaving hardworking guy with almost no time for a beer," he stated, waving around the room. "How is that freedom?"

"I never said freedom was free," Anansi scolded. Uru shrunk a little bit before she continued. "But now you're free to walk around the streets without fear of being caught by the authorities, free to have constant friends and a steady job, and free to live your life as you see fit."

"I suppose…" he stated, thinking about it. Anansi then drew something out of her pocket and tossed it towards Uru. He caught it with his left hand and looked at it. Anansi smirked.

"I thought you would want a beer. You're free, aren't you?" she asked. Uru glanced over towards the not-so-busy restaurant before sitting down with a response.

"Always."

_**14AmyChan: Okay, I'll try to get the other prompts done eventually, but it may not be before the month is out!**_

_**Anansi: I can't tell if you'll make it or not.**_

_**Uru: Good luck!**_

_**14AmyChan: Thanks, and please read and review!**_

Next—Sleep


	26. 26: Sleep, BlitzXClaire (friendparent)

**_14AmyChan: Really quick, here's a friendship/parental oneshot  
_**

**_Blitz: Laundry pants man!_**

**_Claire: And clean skirt girl!_**

**_14AmyChan: I don't own either of them. XD_**

Prompt 26: Sleep

Blitz tossed and turned in his bed, flopping all over the place with a sense of lazy bliss. Of course he would do this; it was a beautiful summer afternoon, perfect for napping.

_Scurry, scurry!_

In his slumber, Blitz's ears perked. He always had a great sense of hearing, perfect for when he had been hunting for moofs at the Skull and Crossbones Inn on Ruin Island. Still, the childlike man slept on, occasionally shifting to lay more in the way of the sun's bountiful rays.

_Scuttle, scuttle!_

Blitz snored loudly.

_POUNCE!_

The man awoke with a jump, partially of his own doing and partially the doing of the small child that had leapt on top of him. Blitz rubbed his eyes sleepily as the child bounded happily on his lap.

"Blitz! Let's play!" Claire shouted happily. She let out a groan of frustration when Blitz only flopped onto his back and promptly fell back asleep. She harrumphed and let herself drop to the ground. She walked around him in hopes of finding a way to wake him up.

"WAKE UP!" she shouted in his ear. He turned over and snored on.

She reached towards the side of his stomach and tried tickling him as Cassie did to her to wake her up. He squirmed, but did not do much of anything else.

She hopped back on top of his stomach and bounced up and down on top of it. Blitz did not stir.

"I wanna play!" she complained, looking around for something to do. The only thing she found was the window where the sun filtered through, sending warm beams onto the adult-child she wanted to play with.

"I'm gonna wait here until you wake up, and then we're gonna play, mister laundry pants man!" she announced loudly as she sat down. Her dragon tail helped balance her and her ears were pointed up in determination.

And so she waited.

* * *

"I like the sun, it makes me sleepy," Blitz announced two hours later as he woke from his refreshing summer's day nap. He smiled as he looked around, and then tilted his head curiously.

"Why is Claire sleeping while sitting up?"

**_14AmyChan: If you get a kid to sit still long enough, they'll eventually fall asleep, especially under the heat of summer. XD_**

**_Blitz: Nap time's over!_**

**_Claire: Time to play!_**

**_14AmyChan: And review! Please R&R, peeps~! *^_^*_**

Next—Memories


	27. 27: Memory, Luck family

_**14AmyChan: Okay, this is a family outing**_

_**Tuff: You didn't put Riley in there much…**_

_**14AmyChan: It's hard to put Riley anywhere, truthfully.. XD I just hope I got his playfulness down!**_

_**Riley: How old are we here?**_

_**Helena: I remember this, they were four.**_

_**14AmyChan: There you have it~! I don't own Arch~! *^_^***_

Prompt 27: Memories

Helena sighed as she pulled the twins apart. _Again_. It was always during the summer time that she had to find new and creative ways to distract the boys, if only to keep them from tearing each other's heads off for no apparent reason other than to alleviate their boredom.

"Why don't you boys come with me down to the docks?" she asked, hoping that a mere walk would allow them to get rid of their pent up energy as well as entertain her for a few moments. Even a mother got bored every now and then on a summer's day.

Riley looked eager to go, bounding around and grabbing the loudest colors he could find to adorn himself with. Tuff, on the other hand, seemed reluctant. Yet under his mother's inquisitive gaze, he reached for a pale blue vest to don for this impromptu outing.

"So why are we going to the docks, mom?" Riley questioned loudly as they left the castle. Already Helena could hear the whispers that swirled around them, hushed warnings to avoid the docks for that day unless absolutely necessary.

_Racist…_ she silently seethed before calmly answering Riley's question.

"Because I like it there," she stated.

"I like it better in the belfry…" Tuff muttered, his intelligent little eyes taking in their surroundings. Or rather, the _people_ of his surroundings. They shifted away from them obviously, and many shot looks of pure disdain from their high and mighty perches. They viewed his family with utter scorn, and Tuff had not the courage to return the hypothetical fire.

"Do the birds make good company?" Helena asked skillfully. Tuff knew what she was digging for, but he answered honestly with a nod, trying and failing to shake off the horrible glares he was getting.

A huge force tackled the pouty-fish to the ground and Helena sighed as she had to yet again pull her squabbling sons apart. Riley was absolutely _bursting_ with energy, and Helena needed to figure something out. Before she could, however, the elder twin grabbed his brother's pale blue vest, managed to separate it from Tuff, and dashed away with it. Not one to be intimidated by his brother's tomfoolery, Tuff immediately shot off in pursuit.

Helena jogged after them.

By the time that the mother had found her sons at the pier, they were already rough housing so bad the poor wooden structure was swaying.

"Give it back, Riley!"

"Quit being a poutfish!"

"You got that nickname from Mikel! Now give it back!"

"Nev—AHH!"

Helena chuckled as her sons fell into the water, but ran slightly faster to ensure their health. They both knew how to properly swim, given that she had asked her brother in law to install a pool for that very purpose. Even little Mikel enjoyed swimming in the pool with his "very bestest cousins in the whole wide Archipelago!"

"So…" she grinned, the two identical faces of her sons looking up at her from the beautiful sea water. "Have you two cooled off yet?"

"Nope!" Riley yelled, flopping himself back in the water. Tuff pouted.

"Is this the _real_ reason you wanted to go to the pier, mom?" he asked. Helena chuckled.

"Come on," she stated, wiping imaginary dust off of her shoulder. "Give me more credit than that, Rough-'n-Tuff. This just makes for a great memory."

"Come on, pout-fish! I'll bet I can swim around the pier faster than you!" Riley hollered, leaving the remaining half of the twins to be shooed by his mother to join in the fun. Helena kept a watchful eye on her sons with a serene smile. A great memory, indeed.

_**14AmyChan: well, that was fun~! *^_^***_

_**Riley: *slings arm around AmyChan's shoulders* Read and review!**_

_**Tuff: *face palms***_

_**Helena: *chuckles***_

_**14AmyChan: *escapes***_

Next—Friends


	28. 28: Friends, pretty much everyone

_**14AmyChan: So, I'm not gonna finish on time, but I'll try to get a few out as quickly as I can~! *^_^***_

Prompt 28: Friends

"I never thought this would ever happen, you know?" Credenza laughed as she lounged next to her boyfriend. It was a warm summer's night and even Raven seemed to be enjoying the moment.

"I agree," he stated, glancing about the circle of people around the midsummer's night bonfire.

To the left of Credenza sat Alice, who was leaning on Riley and enjoying animated conversation. The twin sharkboys were together with Cassie on their other side. The blue-skinned girl kept an eye on Claire, who was playing on the back of Blitz in dragon form and debating loudly with Spindle. All of the other Serenith from the Solair household laughed at the familiar scene. Pallo was talking with his guards and anyone who would listen, attempting to figure out absolutely _everything_ that had happened on the wild adventure. Uru was talking animatedly with Kor, Anansi, and Vanesse, who all seemed interested in what the werewhale had to say. In varying degrees, of course.

Alice's brothers mingled with Willium and Nim, who had an excited Simon alongside them. Jun was happily nuzzling up to Tin Can, who was enjoying the scents and sounds of the ambient atmosphere. Korus and Paolin watching over everything and everybody with cool heads, while Jan found himself practicing his magics with Kroft. He had been officially escorting King Mikel and Queen Deliza and their newborn son, but the royal family seemed content to share stories around the campfire, entertaining the curious Prince Pallo whenever he would return for more storytellings as well as some of the nuns who visited from the Hidden Island. Miss Tabitha seemed to have an easy smile on her face as she watched the Book adapt to and enjoy the company of many different people. She had never known it to be so open and friendly, and was glad that Bookie had been able to go on this adventure that had given it many new friends.

The group chatted and mingled happily around the bonfire, and Credenza could not be happier at this moment. These were her friends, the ones she had made on this very long and difficult journey.

"I'm glad we could all get together here on Ruin Island..." she said softly. She felt more than heard Raven's deep chuckle as she leaned her head back to look up towards him. She smiled as she gave him another kiss.

Yes, these were her friends. And after such a difficult journey, she was happy to have one night where they could all come together and have a bit of fun.

_**14AmyChan: I just wanted to get as many as I could in there all at once. XD I hope I didn't forget anyone! o_o**_

Next—Family


	29. 29: Family, Bookie

_**14AmyChan: I haven't done one for this character yet!**_

_**Bookie: *glares***_

_**14AmyChan: I know, I'm sorry! Just be glad I don't own Arch!**_

Prompt 29: Family

The Listing of Names sat on the table, sighing quietly. It knew very well that it was not being left behind or forgotten, but sometimes it could not help but feel so. Ever since Tuff had married Cassie, it had been receiving less attention, and even more so once the child had been born.

It was obvious, of course, that new lives and relationships took time to invest in and protect. Bookie knew that Tuff was not doing this on purpose, and though it relished the time that _was_ spent with it, it rather missed being Tuff's most needed companion.

A shuffling made itself known in the library where Bookie sat in dog form. It perked one auditory device to sense where the sound was originating from.

_Shuffle, shuffle._

As far as Bookie knew, Tuff, Cassie, and the baby were all asleep. Or was it even a baby anymore? Bookie could not tell. It had been a while since it had made the effort to go and see the child. The past long while it had spent in these depressing thoughts.

_Thunk._

Now what in the world was that? Bookie hopped off of the table and pushed its nose around the library. It looked around for any sign of disturbance. Something out of place or—

A tinkling sound of laughter pealed through the library, and if the Book had a circulatory system, any color in its page-created face would have drained. It knew that giggle very well.

It was the giggle of a child about to get into trouble.

Bookie searched the library some more, not finding the child. It was around here somewhere, and the dog-formed tome knew that it was going to get into trouble sometime soon! Sometime very, very—

"Bruh—!" a voice called from above.

Above?!

Bookie looked up and its blue eyes widened considerably. Up on the third shelf, the tot had climbed up very high. It was looking down with no sign of fear—not that the child _would_ fear—but rather with some form of unexpected glee. The book moved to shift forms when something happened that caused the book to halt in fear.

The child let go of the shelf.

Bookie felt itself dissolve into many slivers of paper and push itself together, attempting to create a pile of paper fluffy enough for the child to land safely. It prayed that it made it in—

_Floomp!_

The book struggled to pull itself together when the child landed on it. Bookie returned to dog form if only so it were able ascertain that the child was all right. The babe was put softly on the ground and Bookie sniffed all over the child, then examined her thoroughly. The child seemed all right, when Bookie moved in closer to inspect. Perhaps—

"Bruh—!" the child exclaimed again, reaching out a tiny hand to Bookie's nose. Bookie's eyes narrowed slightly. What on the Archipelago...? "Bruh—der! Bruder! Bruder Buh—k! Bruder Book!"

The child squealed happily repeating the words over and over again as Bookie sat there, observing the child with a tilted head. Brother?

Why?

"There you are!" Tuff panted as he came into the library. His pajamas were wrinkled and it was obvious the man had been properly terrified. He smiled warmly when he saw his child and the Book together, albeit a small amount of nervousness shone through.

"Moira's been looking everywhere for you," Tuff admitted, walking into the room. "She wanted to know where her brother was hiding, it looks like..."

Curiosity shone through Bookie's eyes. How had the child come to view a book as her brother? Tuff shrugged.

"We're a family, and I think Cassie's the one that started calling you her big brother in front of her. If you want, we can switch it to uncle or something cool like that," Tuff began, but then sort of switched into his worried ranting side. Bookie, however, was pleased. He looked down at the blonde girl, who was smiling brightly, repeating "big brother" over and over again in her garbled tongue.

He could live with being a brother. He was glad to be a part of the family.

_**14AmyChan: Fun factoid, Moira isn't mine either. She's also Hannah's. Evidently, she grows to act a bit like Tuff. XD**_

_**Moira: Bookie kind of grows to be my uncle and my older brother in one, though I still have Uncle Riley, and he's crazy.**_

_**Riley: I resent that!**_

_**Tuff: She knows what she knows.**_

_**Bookie: *nods***_

_**14AmyChan: In any event, I hope I can put one last one out for tonight and finish this off as soon as possible~! *^_^***_

Next—MY CHOICE


	30. 30: MY CHOICE, Credenza&Claire(friends)

_**14AmyChan: I just wanted them to do this so badly. XD**_

_**Credenza: Why me?**_

_**Claire: Because you're the main character, that's why!**_

_**14AmyChan: I don't own Arch~! *^_^***_

Prompt 30: My Choice!

Cool

"Do I really have to do this?" Credenza asked, her eyebrow quirked up. Claire nodded from down at her feet.

"Yup! No take backsies!" the girl ordered, her ears perked in entertainment. Credenza resigned to her fate.

"But...why?" she asked, still not sure for the whole point of this thing.

"Because it's fun! Remember, when you're done, you get to tell three other people to do it!" Claire yelled happily as she backed up with a smile. Credenza was about to retort when she felt herself suddenly drenched in ice-cold water.

The girl froze up and started to jump around, attempting to get rid of that stray ice cube that had managed to wiggle down the back of her shirt.

"That's cold!" the girl yelped as she finally got the last chunk of ice off of her. Claire giggled as she high fived Blitz, who had been the one to pour a bucketful of ice on top of her head.

"You were the one who said you wanted to cool off!" Claire happily reminded as Credenza was finally handed a nice, fluffy, warm towel. She sighed in contentment as it helped to warm her. Claire was looking at her with expectation.

"Oh," she said, remembering. "I'm supposed to pick three others to do this, aren't I?"

Claire nodded, happy that at least _one person_ was playing her game. Uru had not wanted to and Ben said he didn't want his circuitry to get wet. Blitz had tried to get them, but they both avoided him. So that had left Claire to get Credenza, and now she was gonna pick the next three victims of Claire.

"How about Tuff, Riley, and Raven?" Credenza asked. Claire nodded happily and pulled Blitz along for their next adventure.

"Come on, Blitz! We're gonna pour ice on their heads!" she laughed, her words echoing across the busy beach. Credenza shook her head.

"Where did she even get the idea for an ice bucket challenge, anyways..." the woman wondered, simply happy that she was no longer cold. Cool, she could handle, but not cold. Not for too long, anyways.

_**14AmyChan: Okay, that wraps this thing up~! *^_^* Hope you guys enjoyed, and I probably won't do this for a long, long while. XDDD**_

_**Credenza: It was fun for a while, I guess.**_

_**Claire: CLEAN SKIRT GIRL IS GONNA GO DUMP WATER ON PEOPLE'S HEADS WITH LAUNDRY PANTS MAN!**_

_**Blitz: YAAAAAAAAAAAAAAY!**_

_**14AmyChan: lol, hope you enjoyed this, guys~! *^_^* Please read and review~! *^_^***_


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